BCWU Workers Protest…Say P.U.P. and U.D.P. Are the Same

Late Thursday evening, the B.T.L.’s Belize Communications Workers Union sent out a release blasting the Government and B.T.L. management. It came in the wake of a settlement with Lord Michael Ashcroft, and states that, “the Union and its members were stunned to learn on Monday, September fourteenth, 2015, that the hostile relationship between the Ashcroft Group and Barrow Government had changed overnight to one of rapprochement.” There is a litany of, what the Union claims is, bad faith and disrespect, but the gist is that the Union says that, “we learnt that the Barrow government was acting from the same script as the Musa administration.”  As we told you, it’s a very bold release which accuses Prime Minister Barrow of taking the people for fools and that it is a slap in the face of all Belizeans. Today, seventy B.T.L. union workers took to the streets in a midday protest near their Regent Street office. The mood wasn’t as aggressive as that of the release, but they say that they are very serious about being heard.

Michael Augustus

Michael Augustus, President, Belize Communications Workers Union

“A number of concerns – disrespect…having not enough respect for the union, the membership, for employees. There are some health issues, some things that need to be addressed urgently and there are many others which we will speak about in future, very near future, if they are not resolved in a timely manner. Our reason for being out here is because we are meeting on them, we are discussing them, but the membership believes that the feedback that we are getting, it is not enough; it is not timely enough and therefore action needs to be taken. Hence the reason why we are out here. During this hour, when a lot of our staff, more than are working, if you can see the turnout in support and solidarity. Staff is totally behind this; we would not have made the move unless we had the majority because the executive speaks for the majority.”

Anwar Barrow

Reporter

“Are you all satisfied with the Executive Chairman, the person who is the Executive Chairman? Is this an issue with Anwar Barrow, son of the Prime Minister?”

Michael Augustus

“At this time, I will not comment on that; however, we are in discussion with them and the membership just strongly believe that the actions that are being taken are not fast enough and are not being taken seriously enough.”